Exploring a thiol-functionalized MOF for elimination of lead and cadmium from aqueous solution

A thiol-functionalized metal organic framework material (called [email protected]) was successfully prepared by the thiol modification which taking the silica gel layer as a medium, on the basis of zinc based metal organic framework (MOF-5) synthesized by hydro-thermal method. The novel material was characterized by Fourier transfer infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction. It was also investigated to remove lead and cadmium ions from aqueous solution. In view of adsorption capacity and adsorption rate, [email protected] was shown to be a more convenient and effective adsorbent (312.5 mg/g; 65.2 g/mg·min0.5) than unmodified MOF-5 (211 mg/g; 4.2 g/mg·min0.5). Besides, in the hydrostability test, unmodified MOF-5 would leak its own component when present in acid solution, whereas the thiol-functionalized material was stable owing to its synthesis process taking the silica gel layer as a medium. At last, electrostatic attraction and the thiol coordination interaction with potentially toxic metals played vital roles in the adsorption of lead and cadmium ions on [email protected]